Suspect, victim were acquaintances in the Burlington gay community

By MIKE DONOGHUE, Vermont News First

An Essex man, who police say knocked a Burlington City Councilor unconscious at a Church Street bar over the weekend, pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon in Vermont Superior to a charge of aggravated assault.

Brian Limoge, 39, of Wildwood Drive reportedly used a pint glass to strike City Councilor Evan Litwin, D-Ward 7 in the head and punched him multiple times in the head before fleeing, according to authorities.

Litwin was taken to the UVM Medical Center where he was treated, including having 10 stiches to close a wound on his forehead and three stiches for a cut over his left eye, police said.

The state asked that Limoge, who has 9 known failures to appear in court, be held without bail, but Judge John Pacht agreed to release him back into the community on conditions.

Pacht did agree to schedule a weight of the evidence hearing later to determine if Limoge should be jailed pending resolution of the felony charge.

Limoge has 22 misdemeanor arrests with 15 convictions and six felony arrests with no convictions, records show. A dozen charges are for assaults with 8 convictions.

Burlington Police Officer Nho V. Huynh said he was called to Red Square about 10 p.m. Friday for a physical altercation and found a battered Litwin, 41, with blood around his head as he was laying on the floor in the back of the bar.

Litwin advised he and Limoge are acquaintances from the gay community, and they had known each other for several years, police said.  Litwin said his last interaction with Limoge was about a month earlier, Huynh said in a court affidavit.

Limoge said he told Litwin he did not want to ever talk to him again, police noted.  During the falling out, Litwin advised that Limoge had made threats about beating his face in, Huynh said.

The reported assault was captured on security video at the bar, which is diagonally across the street from City Hall and was the scene of a fatal shooting last August 

While standing at the bar near the private event area, Litwin said Limoge walked up to him and placed his hand on the City Councilor’s back. The two spoke, but a friend, Christopher Muse stepped in between them, police said.

Huynh provided the following narrative in his court affidavit:

Litwin then claimed Limoge “popped off.” Litwin went for security and Limoge left Red Square.  Litwin went to the exit that leads to an ally, where he found Limoge.  The Essex man started to pound on him.  Litwin said he was struck by a glass cup or bottle and then punched multiple times in the head.

Litwin said he fell to the ground and advised he later woke up to his friends around him and Limoge was missing, Huynh wrote.

The investigation continued over the weekend and on Sunday the officer said he spoke to Muse and Marc Bouchard, who witnessed the verbal altercation before the attack.

Bouchard said he has known Limoge for about seven years and had worked together, Huynh said.  Bouchard said Litwin reacted negatively to having Limoge place his hand on the City Councilor’s  shoulder, police said.

Litwin claimed that Longe had made threats several weeks earlier to bash in Litwin’s skull, police said.  Bouchard reported that Litwin made a comment about not being afraid to go back to prison, Huynh said.  

Huynh said the video appears to show Limoge poured a liquid on Litwin, who responded by splashing Limoge.  Limoge responded by using his pint glass to hit Litwin before shoving him against the wall, police said.

The video showed Limoge continued to hit Litwin in the head while he was against a wall and eventually threw him to the floor, police said.  Limoge was pushed outside by somebody, while Litwin remained on the floor holding his left hand to the left side of his head, Huynh reported.

Huynh used three photos to confirm the suspect’s identity.  One picture was from Red Square, another was from a traffic stop by Vermont State Police two days earlier and the third photo was provided by Bouchard.

Red Square has seen its share of assaults through the years, including a fatal shooting of Teville Johnson, 30, of Stowe last August after a dispute over a bar tab at the nightclub.

Aaliyah Johnson, 23, of Farrell Street, South Burlington has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder after firing multiple gunshots at the victim, police said.